The blonde drummer Clem Burke dies, 70 years old

Clem Burke, the drummer of the New Wave Blondie group in the 1970s, died at the age of 70 after a “private battle against cancer”, confirmed the group’s spokesman for the BBC.

Named one of The biggest drummers of all time by Rolling Stone magazineIts energetic fillings and melodic flourish that the number one in the UK high like call me, the tide is high, atomic and heart of the glass-with a skillfully switching burke between punk, reggae, disco and hip-hop grooves.

In a long and varied career, he also played with Iggy Pop, Bob Dylan, The Ramones, Eurythmics and Take That’s Mark Owen.

“Clem was not only a drummer; he was Blondie’s heart rate,” said his comrades In a tribute published on Facebook.

“Her talent, her energy and his passion for music have been unrivaled, and his contributions to our sound and our success are immeasurable,” wrote singer Debbie Harry and guitarist Chris Stein.

“Beyond his musicality, Clem was a source of inspiration at the same time and out of the stage. His dynamic spirit, his contagious enthusiasm and his solid rock work ethics touched all those who had the privilege of knowing him.”

Burke was born and grew up in New Jersey, and said that his first memory was “to play my father’s kit in the four seasons”.

He acquired experience in brass bands and cover groups, before being recruited for Blondie in 1974.

From the start, he envisaged his role more than a simple goalkeeper.

“I have always appreciated drummers like Hal Blaine (the session of session of Phil Spector) and Earl Palmer (Little Richard, Fats Domino) who were studio musicians accomplished, and had the kind of musicality and versatility that I sucked,” He said to the Mixdown magazine last year.

“I wanted to be able to contribute to the song rather than to harm.”

The group made a name for itself in New York Punk clubs such as CBGB, alongside contemporaries such as Talking Heads, Television and Patti Smith and published its first eponymous album in 1976.

However, it was the parallel lines of 1978 that made them names of households, fueled by New Wave, blows like one way or another and disco grooves of the heart of the glass.

However, recording the drum track for Heart of Glass was a tortuous experience.

Producer Mike Chapman wanted to synchronize Burke’s game with a Roland rhythm machine – an experimental procedure that led the drummer to play each of his drums individually, then to reconstruct the piece of rhythm during the one week’s period.

At the end of the session, “he was ready to kill me”, ” Chapman later said to the Wall Street Journal.

When Stein fell seriously ill in 1982, Blondie dissolved.

Burke spent the intermediate years playing with Us Rock Band the Romantics, and worked with everyone from Pete Townshend and Joan Jett, Sex Pistol Steve Jones and Ramones – for whom he adopted the stage name Elvis Ramone.

However, he returned to Blondie when they reformed in 1999 and marked his sixth numeric number one in the United Kingdom with Anthémie Maria.

Addressing BBC News in 2021, Harry said that having Burke in the group meant that their inheritance would not be diluted.

“I often think that the groups meet together, they don’t have enough original musicians,” she said.

“With Chris and Clem and myself, we had this nucleus, and it really weighed heavily, you know?”

The group continued to play and record since, and played the Pyramid scene from Glastonbury in 2023.

Burke also involved in a study of several years of the physical and psychological effects of the battery.

This led to the creation of the Clem Burke battery project in 2008, whose detailed studies have shown that drummers can reach the same physical effort as professional athletes.

Consequently, he received an honorary doctorate from the University of Gloucestershire in 2011.

Burke made his last appearance with Blondie at the Northern Ireland Belsononic Festival last summer, always carrying his CBGB t-shirt.

“His influence and his contributions lasted decades and genres, leaving an indelible mark on each project he was a part,” wrote Harry and Stein on Facebook.

“We express our deepest condolences to family, friends and Clem fans around the world. His heritage will live through the enormous amount of music he created and the countless lives he touched.

“Godspeed, Dr Burke.”